Valentine's Day Fiasco
by boredyetinspiredartist
Summary: [Aftermath sidestory] After a lengthy mission, Naruto learns that being popular is hazardous during Valentine's Day. (NaruHina & SasuSaku pairing)


**Disclaimer:** Naruto is still and always will be Kishimoto-sensei's.

 **Note:** Set in-between the current and future events of Aftermath though it could be a stand-alone fic. Oh well, humor me.

* * *

Aftermath: Special

 **Valentine's Day Fiasco**

* * *

Naruto was tired.

He finished a lengthy mission at Sand Country and he abhorred the heat. Rubbing the remaining sand off his eyes, he sighed as his sandaled feet stepped past the entrance. For several nights, he had trouble sleeping in Gaara's place due to the sandstorms and now he could finally rest in his own home.

Home.

To where his lovely girlfriend waited for him.

Grinning from ear-to-ear, he waved at Izumo and Kotetsu who passed by him. Seeing the wide grins on their faces, Naruto noticed something profound was going on. As he neared the village square, his footsteps went into a complete halt.

He saw a large crowd of giggling, squirming girls with lust-filled, wider, scarier grins and a carefully wrapped package on their hands.

His eyes widened, realizing what today was.

Ye Gods.

It was Valentine's Day.

Oh crap.

* * *

When Naruto was a kid, he was unaware of the holiday. He understood its significance once he entered the Ninja Academy. During those days, he would spend his time glaring at a certain raven-haired boy swarmed with dozens of chocolate by their female classmates. If he wasn't jealous back then, he would've felt pity for Sasuke when the latter passed by him, arms full of the sinfully sweet packages.

After becoming a three-man cell group, his jealous streak intensified when he found out that the love of his life was crushing on his rival. While doing a mission on Valentine's Day, Sakura hounded the Uchiha, plying him with store-bought chocolate.

The pink-haired kunoichi didn't know how to make chocolates before so she decided to buy some instead to save time. Eventually, they caught Sasuke burning the packages he received into ashes, realizing his hatred for sweets.

However, the holiday was also persistent as Sasuke vigorously destroyed every ounce of chocolate. After getting a final warning from the Old Third Gramps for his homicidal attitude towards chocolate and causing forest fires in the training grounds, he bequeathed his stash to his teammates. Naruto was glad to taste the rich and creamy confections. Sakura's face was full of hurt and embarrassment as she weakly accepted the other half of the stash.

On that day, Naruto learned what Friendship Chocolate was.

Since it came from his blue-clad teammate, it felt wrong.

Moreover, Kakashi gave them his share from the old biddies.

Naruto didn't care since he still enjoyed the chocolates.

* * *

Not long after, Sasuke defected.

His departure caused the trend to decline and the number of giggling girls dwindled. Back then, Naruto's face was a mixture of sadness and relief. Sad because Sasuke pursued his dark ambitions, causing Naruto to train hard for the next three years in order to return his ass back to Konoha. Relief because he got sick of eating too many sweets and he didn't have enough money for repeated trips to the dentist.

Truly, bingeing on chocolates was a serious health matter.

With her object of affection no longer with them, Sakura shifted her prospects to Naruto and Kakashi-sensei. After returning from his training journey with Jiraiya three years later, Naruto was able to experience the holiday again.

A few days after their training with Kakashi-sensei, the petite medic gave the males in their team homemade Giri Chocolates as her token of appreciation. Kakashi-sensei turned blue after accepting the package. On the other hand, Naruto was unaware of their instructor's reluctance at the pink-haired's gift.

It was until he took a bite of the chocolate-coated truffle.

Only to realize it was not a truffle.

Rather, she gave them soldier pills coated with syrupy goop that didn't resemble chocolate at all.

It took Naruto an enormous amount of willpower and steady control of his throat muscles not to spit what he just swallowed.

Blech!

Sakura-chan was better off buying store-bought chocolate.

* * *

It was worse when Sai joined the group.

The Root member's curiosity was uncanny. Every object and social interaction he found interesting needed explanation. He got his first taste of the holiday during one of their missions when Sakura suddenly stopped in front of them.

"Here," she said, routinely handing the familiar package to Naruto. She then turned to Sai and Captain Yamato next, giving them similar packages.

"Uh…hehe, thanks Sakura-chan," the blond weakly thanked her. Her chocolate-making skills turned out shoddier this time by secretly adding herbs, and other nutritious thingies in the sweetened concoction. Naruto was sure that Kakashi-sensei got his own dose of chocolate-induced poisoning during Sakura's morning shift at the hospital.

Sai, oblivious to the significance of gift giving cocked his head to the side. "Was there a reason why you gave us this package?"

A tinge of pink crossed Sakura's face. Smiling happily, she explained, "Well, today's Valentine's Day and girls give boys chocolates to show their appreciation."

Naruto swore he heard the loud CLINKING of gears inside the Root member's head. Before he could open his mouth to elaborate its purpose, Sai opened his dirty mouth.

"By giving me this chocolate…does that mean we're boyfriend and girlfriend now?"

Their jaws dropped.

"W-What!? What gave you that idea?" Sakura shrieked.

"Yeah! You got it wrong,'ttebayo!" Naruto piped in.

Sai waved the package, innocence plastered on his face. "But Sakura-san gave me this. She gave you one as well, Naruto-kun. Does that mean from now on, we'll engage in a sexually threesome relationship soon?"

His teammates' faces were a mixture of pure shock and horror. Naruto sputtered out nonsensical words while giving Sai the middle finger. In contrast, Sakura remained calm.

Until a fake smile appeared on Sakura's face.

CRACK!

It took Captain Yamato and Naruto several hours to set every displaced bone on Sai's body due to Sakura's refusal to treat him. The last thing Sai spoke before he lost consciousness was:

"The book was wrong. I didn't know accepting chocolates was so violent."

They were glad that he still lived.

* * *

It was after the Fourth Shinobi War that the long-awaited Valentine's Day trend returned, this time on a massive scale.

Naruto sweatdropped when he saw the swooning and lustful gazes of the village's female population as he dragged his injured friend to the hospital. He didn't understand why the girls would even find the Uchiha's weakened half-dead state alluring.

Sasuke's return officially marked the return of the holiday.

Their stay at the hospital was hellish. Nurses routinely flocked inside their room, doing menial tasks under the guise of checking them. The blond was amused, watching the nurses poking their injured limbs or prodding them with thermometers for their temperatures.

Naruto appreciated their concern but noting Sasuke's thundercloud expression, he knew it was one of the things the raven-haired man didn't miss when he left Konoha.

Valentine's Day was a few months away yet the girls were still happy nonetheless.

* * *

It was days after Sasuke's imprisonment that the holiday sprang back to life. Naruto and Sakura were on their way to visit him when they came across a horde of women surrounding the prison. Luckily, Kakashi-sensei informed them of another entrance at the side of the building or else they had to force their way in.

They were shocked at the look of horror on Morino Ibiki's face when he was swept away by the massive sea of chocolates after opening the door. They felt pity for him since it wasn't his fault that the rouge nin he put into custody was a certified babe magnet.

Sasuke's attractiveness was extremely breaking records.

After the initial inspection, they approached the holding cells. Even though they visit him on a regular basis, Naruto loathed at the sight of his friend ensconced behind bars, arms bound with a seal covering his eyes.

Due to her duties, Sakura stopped making sweets, much to the team's delight…and relief. However, that didn't stop her from handing out presents. When she gave Naruto his Giri Choco he let out loud peals of laughter that roused the Anbu's suspicions to check on them.

Whatever, he was happy that his pink-haired friend finally learned her lesson because the chocolate he received was store-bought.

As for Sasuke, well…

He didn't receive any but Naruto could tell there was a sort of mutual understanding between the two. As usual, Sakura performed her routine checkup on Sasuke, engaging both boys in a hushed yet active conversation. Sasuke remained silent but Naruto discerned the tiniest hint of a smile on his face. Minutes after Sakura excused herself to report to Ibiki, Naruto decided to catch a little gossip from his tight-lipped teammate.

"You look happy," he teased.

Sasuke merely shrugged.

"I'm disappointed she didn't give you any chocolate. She gave us some last year and it knocked our sandals off!"

His friend's face smirked. "I heard she did a number on that idiot with the creepy smile."

Naruto sniggered. He didn't expect Sakura to tell Sasuke about Sai's, uh….comment. After that incident, Sai learned not to mutter disparaging remarks within the pinkette's range of hearing.

Anyways, enough about Sai…

"According to the guards outside, your incarceration was causing them a lot of trouble. Apparently, your fangirls were flooding the entire prison with their love for you. If this goes on, they might release you a bit early."

If Sasuke's eyes were not covered, Naruto guessed his friend would be glaring right at him. A melancholic smile crossed his face, gripping the bars separating the Uchiha from the rest of world. "Seriously, teme. You know as hell as I do that you don't belong in this cage. So, believe in us. We'll get you out of here."

Sasuke chose not to respond.

The two of them sat in silence until Sakura returned from her errand. To ease the worry on the medic nin's face at their teammate's horrid conditions, Naruto joked that Sasuke must be relieved to be in prison because it was protecting him from the sinfully sweet onslaught of his fangirls outside.

He was rewarded with a hard punch on the stomach.

* * *

And now…

After several grueling months, Sasuke was officially pardoned. He subsequently left to wander the world, with no sense of communication. Because of his absence, the girls flocked to the next best thing.

Naruto.

He didn't know whether to blame his growth spurt for the delayed development of his physical attributes or to curse his parents for inheriting their gorgeous looks. It didn't help that he closely resembled his father upon reaching the ripe age of nineteen.

Really, he finally understood why Sasuke loathed the attention.

Taking a cautious step back, he immediately turned around. He planned to leap at the rooftops in order to reach the Hokage Tower. It was a rule to always report to the Hokage after every mission and he was going to do just that. Unfortunately, his stupid foot stupidly tripped on a pebble, landing face-first on the ground.

SPLAT!

The loud noise caused all the girls to look at his direction. Naruto found himself instantly surrounded by them, sweat trickling down his forehead. _'No, shit…'_ he thought.

"KYAAAHHHHH!"

"It's Naru-samaaaa!"

"Naruto-samaaaa! Please accept our chocolates!"

"No, me first!"

"No! Me!"

"Me!"

"Let go of him!"

"Kyaahhh! I touched his hair!"

"Wahhh! I want to touch too!"

Before he knew it, the nightmare began.

"Wah! Save me Hinataaaaaa!"

* * *

"You should save him, you know."

"Hn."

The pink-haired medic frowned, glancing at her visitor. He was watching their blond teammate creating a spectacle of himself from the office window. Judging from his furrowed brows, he was contemplating whether he should save his fellow tormented from the horde or not.

A smile crossed Sakura's lips. After doing her morning rounds, she was surprised to find him waiting in her office. Deciding to finish her paperwork later, she rose to join him at his pastime. Both sweatdropped as they saw Naruto fending off a particularly touchy woman who was relentlessly pulling his jacket.

Sakura's green eyes flashed wickedly. "If I'm not mistaken Sasuke-kun, that's the same girl who grabbed your butt last time when we ate at Ichiraku."

The Uchiha flinched, trying to forget that particular memory. He silently wished Naruto the best of luck in handling the horde. _'Been there, done that,'_ he smugly thought.

Valentine's Day was still a horrible holiday.

He was aware of the dreaded holiday the moment he entered Konoha. Sasuke deliberately skipped his routine report at the Hokage Tower, opting to visit Sakura at her workplace instead. Hiding at the hospital was a good idea because of the "No Disturbance" rule.

It would also mean no fangirls.

Not to mention his girlfriend had the strength enough to decimate the entire female fandom using her pinky.

The mere thought of it was damn good.

Warm arms enclosed him from behind. He visibly relaxed as she pressed her face on his back. She was overly prone to skinship yet he didn't mind. Inwardly, Sasuke found her displays of affection more endearing after watching Sakura unleashing her wrath at his fan girls.

He could feel her smile through the black fabric of his shirt. "Since it's Valentine's Day… (he cringed at the word)…want to eat dinner at Yakiniku-Q?"

His hand covered hers. "Hn."

She grinned, attuned to his brief response. "All right then, any ideas where to celebrate the holiday?"

He turned around, resting his chin on top of her head. Since he grew a few feet taller than she was, he had to adjust to her level whenever they cuddle. Sakura pouted every time she had to stand on her tiptoes just to get his attention. He was rarely home due to his mission and he had no plans of spending their time together outside.

Outside to where the fangirls awaited.

Not until the holiday had passed.

"Home," Sasuke muttered tiredly. He'd rather go back to their apartment and indulge in…comfortably warm activities with her. He missed the pinkette terribly and not even the damn holiday would spoil his fun.

Sakura laughed at her boyfriend's suggestion. Typical Sasuke-kun…and yet, she loved his idea. Rubbing circles on his back, she couldn't help but tease him. "You know, I wanted to try some of those Honmei Chocolates. Could you get one for me?"

He buried his face at the crook of her neck. "Hn."

' _Oh well,'_ she beamed. With or without chocolates, his presence alone was enough for her. Hugging him tightly, she whispered, "Welcome home, Sasuke-kun."

Against her soft skin, his lips curled into a gentle smile. "I'm home, Sakura."

* * *

As for Naruto…

He managed to get himself free by summoning multiple shadow clones as distractions thereby making his escape. Cursing the holiday, he finally reached his house. Before he could put his key inside the lock, the door immediately flung open revealing Hinata.

Seeing her boyfriend's sorry state, the pallid-eyed girl immediately let him inside. "Naruto-kun! Are you alright?"

Damn, was he glad to see her.

He immediately hugged her. "Hinata, you won't believe what happened to me today! I got swarmed by fan girls! I swear, I don't want to see or smell chocolate ever again!"

Hinata was caught off-guard by his glomping. She smiled softly, stroking his hair affectionately. "It's only for today. Anyway, would you like to eat ramen?"

"If you're asking me to go out tonight, I'll pass," he grumbled.

"No silly," she chided him. Pulling out of his embrace, she went to the table and opened a familiar plastic bag. Naruto followed, blue eyes widening at the sight of his favorite ramen inside the takeout bowl.

Hinata giggled at his reaction. "I decided to order your favorite ramen since I know you just got back from your mission. We'll just celebrate the holiday indoors if you'd like." With a sweet smile, she greeted him, "Happy Valentine's Day, Naruto-kun."

He answered her with a sweet kiss.

Happy Valentine's Day indeed.

* * *

 **A/N:** I decided to take a break from the dramatic mood of Aftermath and came up with this. Well, it's considered a late Valentine's Day gift. For the Japanese terms used in the story, **Giri Chocolate** is known as Obligatory Chocolates while **Honmei Chocolate** is for the loved ones. Thank you very much and Happy Valentines Day. Review and tell me what you think! Ja ne!


End file.
